Generalities:

The Giuggiole tree is native to China, but has a very long tradition in Italy too. As evidence of this, just think of the many dialectal names that this fruit has in our country: zizzola, zinzuli, scicula and others. Jujubes, in general, are very popular, both for their particular taste and for their therapeutic properties. The fruits reach full maturity towards the end of summer, in September. The cultivation of the tree was widely practiced in Italy, especially in the South, given that this species prefers a warm climate and poor soils. Over time, however, this cultivar has been forgotten. To date it is grown almost exclusively in the family orchard or is present in the wild. The jujube is a small oval-shaped drupe, with a pericarp that changes color from the initial green to the brown when fully ripe. The mesocarp, or the pulp, is of a rather floury consistency, it is white-yellowish in color. Inside the fruit there is only one kernel, similar to that of an olive. Full ripening occurs between the months of September and October. The flavor of jujubes, when they are still picked greenish on the tree, is similar to that of an immature apple. On the other hand, when they fully mature, the taste is sweetened, recalling a little the flavor of the dates.

Cultivation and Care:

The jujube is a very rustic tree, which adapts to difficult conditions, where the other trees have difficulties. As for soil and climatic needs, it prefers a warm climate and resists well even to periods of long drought. The ideal exposure of this plant is in full sun, especially in areas that have a winter with intense cold. In any case, it also bears temperatures well down to -15 ° C. The jujube tree adapts well to poorer, calcareous, stony, stingy soils of organic matter. The important thing is to avoid those that are too clayey, which can cause water stagnation, which the plant shuns.